DAVAO CITY — Local Government Units (LGUs) in Davao Region have been tasked to establish an isolation facility in their respective localities as the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues.
In a radio interview, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 11 director Alex Roldan said Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) chair Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang has issued a directive to all LGUs in the region to utilize their financial resources for the establishment of such a facility to contain the effects and impact of COVID-19.
“They can align their peace and order fund or use its disaster fund for this purpose,” Roldan said.
He said under Presidential Proclamation number 922, or the state of public health emergency, all government agencies and LGUs are ordered to “render full assistance and cooperation and mobilize the necessary measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Roldan said this isolation facility will be used in case of a spillover of people being investigated for COVID-19 at the two Department of Health (DOH) designated hospitals in Davao Region: Southern Philippines Medical Center in this city and Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
He said the copy of the directives to all governors, city and municipal mayors has already been forwarded to them on Sunday following the first case of COVID-19 disease in the region.
“We will not allow any person who have symptoms of COVID-19 to bring it here in the city unless found to be severe,” Roldan said.
In a virtual press conference on Monday, DOH 11 director Dr. Anabelle Yumang stressed the importance of setting up this facility in every locality to anticipate more people who would need to be isolated because of COVID-19.
“Sa level pa lang sa atong LGU, naa nay facility nga kabutangan kay wala ta makabalo nga muabot ang panahon nga mapuno na ang atong government hospitals. Naa na silay na-identify nga ilang facility nga kabutangan sa PUIs (persons under investigation),” Yumang said.
DRMC Chief of Hospital Dr. Bryan Dalid said if each LGU would have its own PUI facility, it would greatly help decongest their hospital as they can already house or isolate persons who have COVID-19 symptoms.
“At present almost 90 percent of PUIs admitted in DRMC are mild. If and when these LGUs will have their own PUI facility, they can house mild patients and the hospital can now concentrate on moderate and severe patients,” Dalid said.
According to Yumang, as of March 16, Davao Region has 21 PUIs admitted in the two hospitals (six in SPMC and 15 in DRMC) and there are 717 persons under monitoring (PUM) across the region.
Out of the 717 PUMs, 157 have already been cleared while others are still undergoing home quarantine.
March 16, 2020 – Monday 6:03 PM by
RUTH PALO
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